Atlanta 99, Portland 95 (OT)

There were a fair chunk of screwups — this was no classic  — but two of the best teams in the NBA came through with a solid-enough showing in this Hawks win.

Portland could have had this. Atlanta's defense broke down quite a few times, allowing all manner of Trail Blazers open looks that they just couldn't connect on. Toss in 17 turnovers — not particularly egregious, but more than you'd like in a 95-possession game — and you get the difference.

Atlanta won this game on the boards. The offense sometimes came and went, which was just as often a function of sound Trail Blazer D as it was a letdown on Atlanta's end (the ball movement dried up), but it was quite obvious that the Hawks had their ears pricked up. Lots of talking, lots of pointing, lots of good team play.

There were plenty of hiccups. Joe Johnson broke plays a little too often early on his way toward missing 18 of 31 shots, but he also put up 35 points, dished nine assists, had plenty of big answerin' buckets, and turned it over only three times, despite dominating the ball for nearly 45 minutes. That's huge. Johnson may not be a game-decider on the level of a Kobe or a LeBron or Wade or Paul, but his ability to keep his team within a possession without making many mistakes keeps him at an All-Star level.

The late-game heroics — 18 points in fourth quarter and overtime — also help.

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Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your spider dogs.

Eddie Sefko, Star-Telegram: "In billiards, they call it slop. On a Monday night in Wisconsin, when the troops are falling like flies and the legs are dead at the end of a long road trip, the Mavericks will call it a pure shooter's bounce. Dirk Nowitzki — given a chance to play hero after rookie Roddy Beaubois made the defensive play of the game — hit an 18-foot jumper at the overtime buzzer that hit front rim, back rim and the backboard glass before falling straight through the net for a 115-113 Mavericks victory over Milwaukee at the Bradley Center. It capped a 32-point night for Nowitzki, left the Bucks completely frustrated after a hard-fought rally and ensured that big-time efforts by Beaubois, Drew Gooden and Jason Kidd did not go unrewarded. 'It was a little lucky at the end,' Nowitzki said. 'I thought it was going to swish, then when it rattled off the rim, it seemed like it was in the air forever. The bounce obviously was lucky. But it dropped in and we'll take it.'"

Rick Bonnell, Charlotte Observer: "You find Stephen Jackson a high-maintenance player? Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown knows high-maintenance, and it doesn't rattle him. 'I can deal with (high-maintenance) kids. All you have to do is be straight with them,' Brown told the Observer Monday. 'After six years with Allen (Iverson in Philadelphia), I don't look at anybody as a challenge. (Jackson) wants to play and he's a competitor. Guys like that you can make work in your locker room.' The Bobcats acquired wing scorer Jackson, along with point guard Acie Law, from the Golden State Warriors Monday, giving up starting shooting guard Raja Bell and reserve forward Vlade Radmanovic. Brown is enthusiastic about this deal, and Jackson played at shooting guard against the Magic on Monday night."

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Houston 101, Los Angeles Lakers 91

The Rockets are just a coach's dream. They had every chance to give up on this game early on, but kept at it and — cliché alert — honestly took the contest one possession at a time. A real "chop wood, carry water" night out for these Rox.

Quite a bit that we'll have to remember here.

* The Lakers are playing without Pau Gasol. They're playing without a player who — if healthy, and if he kept up the defensive touch we saw in last summer's Finals — could be this league's best power forward.

* Kobe Bryant is still learning how to work out of the post.

* Ron Artest is still learning this offense.

* Derek Fisher is pretty bad, right now.

No excuses, the Lakers didn't play a smart game, but this is all fixable for the defending champs. Mainly because Kobe can do better, Ron can slow down, and ... well, the point guard position is a HUGE problem right now.

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Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your gazpacho.

Bob Kravitz, The Indy Star: "This is what a leader does — what Danny Granger didn't bother to do — after Tuesday night's miserable effort against the Nuggets, the Pacers' third straight poor performance of this young season. A leader, the guy with the big contract, the face of the franchise, he sticks around after a lousy game and does his best to explain what just happened. It doesn't matter if he doesn't have any answers for a 111-93 loss. We asked T.J. Ford, who stuck around like (almost) everybody else, to explain what happened and he said this: 'I don't know,' he said, shrugging, shaking his head. 'I don't know.' Pause. 'I don't know.' Pause. 'I don't know.' Pause. 'Pfffffft ... I don't know.' At least Ford was there. At least Granger's teammates were there, answering questions, trying to make sense of how an offensively gifted team has become bad and boring these first three games. And where was Granger? By the time the media arrived, he was gone, his locker clean and empty. Can anybody imagine if Peyton Manning flew the coop after a painful Colts loss?"

Frank Dell'Apa, The Boston Globe: "The NBA office has not made a determination regarding an inquiry into a conflict between New Orleans guard Chris Paul and the Celtics' Rajon Rondo Sunday night. A double technical foul was assessed to Paul and Rondo after they tangled in the second quarter of the Celtics' 97-87 win over the Hornets. After the game, Paul and Rondo argued near the Celtics bench and were separated by team security. Celtics coach Doc Rivers and Rondo said the league has not contacted them. 'I have no comment on it, really,' Rondo said after last night's 105-74 win over Philadelphia. 'They've got to do what they've got to do.' Said Rivers, 'I don't expect anything to come of it.'"

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